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From VtR (104):

While frenzied, the vampire does everything in her power to accomplish the Beast’s desires. She does so with immediate, forceful, and destructive abandon. If there’s someone in the way, she throws him or decks him. If she’s hungry, she bites the closest thing to her mouth. That said, the Beast isn’t stupid. It’s capable of doing the kinds of things an enraged, terrified, or starving animal predator is, and it will lash out with the predatory aura if that will help sate it.

On one hand, it says the Beast can do anything an animal predator can. Animals don't talk. On the other hand, it says that vampire does everything in its power to fulfill its desires. So, which is it?

Technically, vampire can Ride the Wave, or spend a WP to say something, but the question is, can Beast itself talk.

For example, if frenzied vampire runs away from a threat, can the Beast itself call for help?

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2 Answers 2

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I think I found a source implying that normal Beast can't talk.

In "Wild Hunt - Gangrel", there is a thing called The Passenger. It's a Beast with own voice, personality and Aspirations. Invoking one gives Risen Beast condition. Here is what the condition says (WH-G 87):

Your Beast is awake and aware, a conscious presence in your mind and an active participant in your Requiem. It knows everything you know and perceives everything you perceive — and sometimes more. It speaks inside your mind, and you can answer it silently or out loud, though the latter tends to make you… unpopular with other Kindred. You and your Beast can- not lie to each other. In this state, you and your Beast may not always agree, but you’re not working against each other, either. This has the following effects:

  • You are immune to possession, be it from Kindred, Strix, ghosts, or more esoteric creatures. Any attempt to possess your body that would otherwise succeed instead fails. You then enter frenzy with the possessing entity as the target.
  • You can choose to resist frenzy with Manipulation + Persuasion, talking your Beast down rather than just denying it. This roll is not capped by the Feral Curse. If you succeed, you don’t gain the Tempted Condition, but the Beast will require an exchange of some sort in the future. Reneging on this bargain before your next frenzy inflicts the Hostile posture.
  • Your Beast is more cunning and patient, even while in frenzy. It’s capable of using tools, taking complex actions, and speaking. This can be both a blessing and curse, depending on the situation.

Resolution: N/A

Beat: Act upon your Beast’s wishes over a political or social obligation.

So, apparently, Passenger is capable of complex thinking, and regular Beast is not.

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    \$\begingroup\$ This is a good find! I’d also compare it to the capabilities of “the Other”, an alternative to the Beast that appears in the Vampire: The Requiem Chronicler's Guide, though I think only for the first edition. It is essential a cold, alternate personality, able to speak with the vampire inside their mind. Its equivalent of frenzy is “imprisonment”, in which it takes over the vampire’s body and can absolutely speak and scheme. This is positioned as entirely different from the standard Beast. \$\endgroup\$
    – Guybrush McKenzie
    Commented Nov 6, 2023 at 6:41
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You can spend Willpower to resume control for a brief time; in those moments of lucidity, your vampire can speak, call for help, warn friend, and the like.

Also, you can Ride the wave to keep control while entering Frenzy.

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    \$\begingroup\$ This isn't what I asked. Sure, host can ride the way or spend willpower to act contrary to the Beast. What I asked was whether the Beast can talk to achieve what it wants - for example, by using Dominate on prey. \$\endgroup\$
    – Steve Redka
    Commented Oct 31, 2023 at 19:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ @SteveRedka being able to talk and being able to use Domination are two different things. A frenzied vampire may very well yell "DIE!" while attacking but might or might not be able to use mental powers alongside the utterance. \$\endgroup\$
    – VLAZ
    Commented Oct 31, 2023 at 19:55
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    \$\begingroup\$ @SteveRedka You're attributing a sapience to the Beast that it doesn't ordinarily possess — it's not the Shadow of a wraith, although individual Storytellers may depict it that way for dramatic effect. The Beast cannot talk because it has no voice. Further, the question asked is "Can [a] Vampire in Frenzy talk," and that's the one I answered. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Commented Nov 1, 2023 at 23:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Jadasc thanks, I clarified the question. Still, where does it say that Beast has no voice? \$\endgroup\$
    – Steve Redka
    Commented Nov 2, 2023 at 13:49
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    \$\begingroup\$ @SteveRedka You know that's asking to prove a negative. :) In the text, the beast is described as "inchoate" and "abstract" — the standing presumption is that it has no voice in the same way it has no fingernails. I put it to you that you'd need to show me a place where it says it does have a voice. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Commented Nov 2, 2023 at 16:39

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